Musical instrument.



No. 809,539. PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906. H. STOGKMBIR.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTJB, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Fig.1.

I I u III III! n m llll II I I I l I I I I I l l I II I M I I I II I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I l Invento Attorneys PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

H. STOOKMEIR.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 m a M m Inventor Attorneys HANS STOCKMEIR, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed September 18, 1905. Serial No. 278,906-

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HANs STooKMmR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Musical Instrument, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to musical instruments, and has for its principal object to provide a string instrument of that general type wherein the strings are set into vibration by picking.

A further object of the invention is to provide a musical instrument of this character in which the picks are operated from a key board of the general type ordinarily employed on pianos or organs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of pick of such nature as to engage with and positively move the string on the depression of the key and moving idly past the string when the key is released.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a musical instrument constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional perspective view of the front portion of the instrument. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the picks and its actuatingkey. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail Views of a pick, showing the same in different positions, respectively.

Similar numerals of reference are em.- ployed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawm s.

The instrument forming the subject of the present invention is preferably of the portable type and is provided with a suitable base 10 and vertical walls 11, which may be formed of any suitable material, preferably Wood. At the rear of the frame is a crossfar 12, constituting a wrest-plank for the reception of tuning-pins 13, and at the front is a cross-bar 14, carrying pins 15, to which the front ends of the strings 16 are secured, said strings passing through suitably inclined openings in a bridge-piece 17. The cross-bars and side walls of the frame serve to support a sounding-board 18, which. may be of any ordinary construction.

The number of strings in the instrument may vary; but in the preferred construction the number of strings is equal to the number of keys in an ordinary piano and each is controlled from a separate key 19, the keyboard being arranged at the front of the instrument and resembling the ordinary piano key, so that any piece of music written for the piano maybe played on the instrument by any perform er without instructions.

The keys 19 are secured each to the top of a pin 20, the lower end of which has a balland-socket connection with a lever 21, that is pivoted in a hanger 22, secured to the keyframe 23, and said lever carries a small leafspring 24, which by engagement with the under side of the key-frame serves to maintain the key in elevated position. The rear end of each lever 21 has a ball-and-socket connection with a vertically-movable pin 26, the upper end of which is connected by a link 27 to the approximately horizontal arm of a bellcrank lever 28. To the upper end of the vertical arm of the bell-crank lever, which eX- tends through an opening in the soundingboard, is pivoted a picking-finger 30, that is provided with a flange 31, encircling a portion of the upper end of the bell-crank lever and forming a rule-joint that will permit yielding in but one direction. This arm of the bell-crank lever also carries a damperarm 32, to which is secured a small damper 33, formed of felt or other suitable material and normally in engagement with the string when the picking-linger is in a position at rest. On downward pressure on the key pin 26 is moved upward and the bell-crank lever is moved from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6, the damper mov ing away from the string and the pickingfinger engaging said string and setting the same into vibration. When the pressure on the key is relieved, spring 24 serves to restore the parts to initial position, and during this movement the picking-finger will turn freely on its pivot and will not set the string into vibration during the return movement. During this return movement a bridle 34,

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which is connected to the flange 81 of the picklng-finger, serves to move the latter to proper position with respect to the bell-crank lever 28. This bridle, which may be formed of leather or other suitable material, is secured at one end to a pin 35 and its opposite end passed through a suitable groove or slot formed in the vertical arm of the bell-crank lever and is attached to the flange 31. At the completion of the return movement of the picking-finger the damper 83 comes into contact with the string.

I/Vith an instrument constructed in accordance with this invention any composition written for the piano may be readily played, the effect being similar to that produced by a harp or Zither in accordance with the character and tuning of the strings.

Having thus described the invention, what is" claimed is- 1. In a musical instrument, the combina tion with a sounding-board and strings, of a keyboard, l ey-actuated levers operable from the keyboard, a pivotally-mounted bell-crank lever having one of its arms connected to one of the levers, a picking-finger carried by the opposite arm of the bell-crank lever, the finger being movable with the lever in one direction, and being movable independently of the lever in the opposite direction, and a bridle for insuring return movement of said linger.

2. In a musical instrument, the combination with the sounding-board and strings, of a picking-finger, a lever carrying the same, said linger having a laterally-extended flange for engagement with the lever in order to limit pivotal movement of the finger in one direction, and a bridle for insuring return movement of the picking-iinger to initial position.

3. In a musical instrument, the combination with the sounding-board and strings, of

a key-actuated lever, a bell-crank lever operatively connected to said lever, a picking-finger pivotally mounted on said boll-crank lever, and arranged to positively engage with the string during movement in one direction, and moving freely past the string in the op posite direction, a bridle for insuring return of the pickingdinger to proper position, and a damper also carried by said bell-crank lever. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto it'i'l'lXGd my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HANS STOOKMEIR. Witnesses:

J. FRANK RoBINsoN, M. J. GORMAN. 

